Never Say Die
by dragoncymru
Summary: The Doctor receives a distress call but when he answers, he finds he must live by the consequences of his actions. Consequences that could mean the death of a friend. Another of my 'TARDIS Adventures' series following on from 'The Karzak Gambit'.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

The sky was overcast with heavy grey clouds and a biting wind blew leaves in torrents across the grass. The rain was lashing down, turning the grass to mud and even making the gravel path dangerously slippery.

The old man walked carefully along the path, clutching the wooden walking stick tightly between arthritic fingers and bent almost double against the cold wind. He had long abandoned an umbrella, so his grey hair was plastered to his head and droplets of rain ran down his shoulders. He had wrapped a crimson scarf around his neck to stop the rain getting down his neck, but his long dark overcoat was now soaked.

But still he walked on.

He risked taking his eyes from the treacherous path in front of him and looked up. It wasn't far now and he could see the small building a few hundred yards or so in the distance. He was nearly there. In his youth a short walk like this would have been child's play but now it seemed like a pilgrimage. He'd avoided coming here for so long but now he felt that the time was right.

The mausoleum had been neglected over the years. Some of the concrete had become worn and chipped and the marble pillars that flanked the entrance had long since lost their shine. Ivy was entwined around some of them and had also crept up to parts of the slanted roof.

The old man produced a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away the grime from the now slightly tarnished brass plate that was fixed next to the doorway. He looked at the name on the plate for a long time, the rain still beating down around him.

He took a deep breath and came to a decision. He had thought it over in his mind so many times; there was no turning back now; one last time.

He pulled a small device from his pocket and stared at it silently as he held it. The device was alien. He had been given it so long ago now. With finality, his thumb pressed a button on the device and a small red light started to flash.

The message had been sent.

**1.**

The TARDIS flew through the multicoloured miasma that was the Time Vortex.

Inside the huge, magnificent chamber of golden coral, and watching the incandescent column of light rise and fall, were the Doctor, Katherine and Megan. The Doctor was in high spirits and literally scampered around the console flicking switches, twisting dials and pumping handles with ferocious vigour.

"Right then," he asked looking up from the console and grinning at the two girls. "Where do you want to go next?" He hardly paused for breath. "The Star Gardens of Jovil Four? Earth's Great Exhibition?" He considered. "Nah, not that great actually; what about the Eye of Orion?" The Doctor scratched the back of his head. "I haven't been there for ages! Always reminded me of Wales a bit." Suddenly his eyes lit up. "Oh, yes, I know!" He jumped around the console and started altering more controls. "Reef City One!"

Katherine and Megan exchanged a look. "What's Reef City One?" asked Megan hesitantly, raising her eyebrows.

The Doctor slammed home another control and the TARDIS gave a lurch. He clung to the console and grinned at them again. "Oh, you'll love it. Hope you can swim though!"

Suddenly there was a strange sound from the console that sounded like an alarm of some kind.

"What's that?" asked Katherine, clinging to the rail around the console as the TARDIS leapt about.

The Doctor scrabbled around the console pressing some more switches. "It's a distress signal," he replied with interest, his eyes darting over readings that flashed up on the monitor screen. "If I can just check…………." He tailed off and his expression changed instantly. "No it can't be," he whispered, "not from there….."

"Where's the signal coming from Doctor?" asked Megan, a little worried by his abrupt change of mood.

The Doctor ignored her and watched the pillar of light above the console rise and fall, his face unreadable. Then he seemed to come to a decision, and almost seconds afterwards the usual wheezing, groaning sound of the TARDIS materialising filled the chamber.

He turned to Katherine and Megan and forced a smile. "There you go, Reef City One as requested."

Katherine stepped towards him, concern all over her face. "Doctor, what's happened?"

The Doctor dropped the smile and looked deeply into her large brown eyes. "I have to leave you here."

**2.**

Katherine's stomach tightened and she felt Megan grasp her arm. "You're leaving us here alone?" she gasped in disbelief.

The Doctor nodded and his face was deadly serious. "There's something I have to do," he replied quietly.

"But we can help you," Megan exclaimed, "like we always do!"

The Doctor shook his head slowly, sadly. "Not this time. This time it has to be just me. When I've finished, I'll come back for you."

Katherine's heart skipped a beat, but she knew by the Doctor's face that she couldn't change his mind. "Will you be long?" she whispered.

A flicker of a smile crossed the Doctor's face. "Katherine, the TARDIS is a time machine! Time is relative!"

Katherine nodded and glanced at Megan who smiled bravely.

"Oh, yes," continued the Doctor, a little more like his old self. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver and what looked like a small piece of rectangular plastic. He adjusted a setting on the screwdriver and pointed it at the plastic card. After a short burst, he switched it off and thrust the screwdriver back into his pocket. "There you go," he said, passing the card to Katherine. "About a million credits should keep you going." He winked at her. "Don't go mad!"

Katherine smiled sadly and took the card. The Doctor flicked a switch on the console and the TARDIS doors swung open. Katherine took a deep breath and then hugged the Doctor tightly. Then she turned and walked down the ramp towards the TARDIS doors. Megan grabbed her denim jacket from over the nearby railing and smiled at the Doctor who gave her a quick hug as well.

Katherine and Megan paused by the doors. The Doctor smiled warmly at them. "Keep safe," he warned, "but enjoy yourselves; this place is fantastic!" He paused. "I'll see you soon."

The two girls nodded and Megan waved as they left the TARDIS. The Doctor flicked a switch and the door closed behind them. His expression changed instantly, at once intense and worried. Shadows flickered across his blue eyes as he turned some more dials and the TARDIS dematerialised.

**3.**

The young Captain crouched down amongst the scrubland as he heard the distant gunfire. The sun was going down, turning the landscape a burnt orange, and the mosquitoes were everywhere. He knew that if he didn't find and return to his battalion soon, he would be found and killed by the Mau Mau rebels.

His throat was parched and he risked pausing for a quick swig of water from his canteen. The heat in Kenya never really let up, although after almost six months here he thought he would've been used to it by now. Those six months had seen him celebrate his twenty fourth birthday in the camp with his men. They had given him a party of sorts but he would have sooner been home in England with Fiona. He took another swig and wiped the droplets of water from his moustache. He regretted missing the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth as well.

He stowed away the canteen and looked around the scrubland. The gunfire had died down and he estimated that he was around six miles north of Nairobi. If he managed to go in the right direction, he could be back at the camp well before dawn.

Suddenly there was a flash of light in the sky above him. The Captain looked up to see a creature of nightmares. It was about the size of a large lion, but covered in dark green scales like a dragon. Huge, leathery bat-like wings grew from the back, ending in sharp points and it had a long pointed tail like a scythe. The head was angular and sharp with red devilish eyes. It opened its' mouth with a terrifying screech to reveal rows of razor sharp fangs and flew downwards to attack.

The Captain rolled to one side as it dived at him, just managing to avoid being skewered by the sharp claws. The creature rose into the air again and turned, ready to dive a second time, when there was another sudden flash of light out of nowhere that consumed the creature and it vanished completely.

The Captain picked himself up off the dusty ground and scanned the air, but everything was quiet once more except for the buzz of mosquitoes. He shook his head to clear it and vowed not to tell anyone about what had happened in case they thought the heat had got to him.

**4.**

The Doctor leaned over the console and watched the central column move up and down. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, as if preparing himself for an ordeal.

Suddenly, the TARDIS bucked beneath him and he was flung backwards, clutching the railing that ran around the console fore support as an alarm started sounding. The Doctor's hand flew across the myriad of levers and switches on the console, trying to work out what had happened.

"Temporal contour?" he muttered in disbelief, his hands still working furiously. "That shouldn't be there!"

The TARDIS bucked again, but this time the Doctor held onto the console. "No," he shouted as he watched the temporal co-ordinates change on the monitor. "No, not now!"

The loud wheezing, groaning sound of the TARDIS materialising filled the chamber and suddenly everything was quiet and still.

Frantically, the Doctor checked the readings. It looked like the spatial co-ordinates hadn't changed so he had certainly landed at the correct location; it was all a question of when. He hoped desperately that he wasn't too late. Grabbing his long brown coat from where it hung over one of the huge coral supports that went up to the roof of the TARDIS, the Doctor ran to the door.

It was a beautiful summer's day as the Doctor stepped from the TARDIS onto a hillside. The sun shone down onto the long grass and birds sang in trees that were just losing the last of their pink spring blossom. He looked around but there was no one in sight. A little further down the hillside where the ground was level, and surrounded by some elegant beech trees, was a small stone building.

The Doctor felt a cold sensation sweep over him and he started to run as fast as he could towards the building that was clearly a crypt or mausoleum of some kind. He pulled up short as he approached it, and then walked up so that he could read the newly added shiny brass plate next to the entrance.

On it was a list of names; a family tree. At the bottom of the list was a name that made the Doctor's blood run cold.

"Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart: 1929-2008".

**5.**

"No!" shouted the Doctor, his hearts thumping in his chest. "No, I can't have missed it! I should have been there!" He looked up into the clear blue sky, trying to calm his anger, and then after a few moments, reached out and gently touched the brass plate. "Alistair, I'm so sorry," he whispered.

The Doctor leant against the padlocked iron gate that led to the tomb of his oldest friend. He had answered the call but had failed the Brigadier when he needed him the most. The Doctor's anger began to return and he slammed his fist into the gate. He looked up and his eyes flashed dangerously, his face set. "No," he whispered and then more loudly, "No, I won't let you down!"

He pushed himself away from the gate and began to run back up the hill to the TARDIS. He reached the doors in seconds, opened them and strode into the console chamber, throwing his coat carelessly to one side. The Doctor started punching and stabbing at controls, twisting levers violently. He released the last handle and stared up as the pillar of incandescent light began to move up and down. The familiar wheezing, groaning sound filled the chamber as the TARDIS dematerialised.

The Doctor knew that he was breaking the rules, but this time he didn't care; he had to do it. He would deal with the consequences when the time arose.

***********************

The universe exists in a state of balance. If that balance is shifted, however slightly, primal forces are created to restore it. The Timelords of Gallifrey had a duty to monitor these forces and would sometimes intervene when the death toll was too great; restoring the balance by other, more subtle means.

But the Timelords were no more.

The TARDIS tumbled and hurtled through the blood red Time Vortex.

Suddenly, the Vortex convulsed and shuddered. Bolts of brilliant white chronal energy struck the TARDIS like lightning bolts hitting the mast of a ship in the middle of the sea, illuminating it an eerie glow that then faded away. The Vortex convulsed again, and with a terrifying screech, something began to appear behind the TARDIS, dragged along in the temporal wake.

**6.**

He sat back in the chair in the library and closed his weary eyes. Writing his journal every day was getting more and more difficult. After a moment he opened his eyes and looked across the desk at the small bottle of tablets. Glancing at his watch, he leant forward and put the tablets in his pocket.

It was time for his daily pilgrimage.

*******************

It was a very short trip. Almost before the noise of the TARDIS engines had died away, the Doctor had sprinted down the ramp and had opened the door.

Instead of a summer's day with blue sunshine, it was dark and grey outside. It was pouring with rain, but the Doctor just ignored the wintry weather, leaving his brown coat, and walked out. The TARDIS had landed in almost exactly the same place as before. The Doctor patted the old time ship affectionately and then looked grimly down the hill to the mausoleum.

Taking a deep breath, the Doctor began to walk quickly down the hill, trudging through mud until he reached the gravel path. The bitingly cold wind and the lashing rain meant that he was soaked to the skin in seconds, yet this had no effect on him and he carried on walking, hoping that he was in time.

He reached the little mausoleum and inspected the brass plate. It was grimy and dirty, but someone had recently attempted to wipe it with something, revealing the names inscribed on it. Although the Doctor could see other names of the Lethbridge-Stewart clan, there was no sign of Alistair.

The Doctor smiled in relief and let out the breath he had been unconsciously holding. He had made it in time! He pushed back the sodden hair from his eyes and blinked through the rain. Where should he try now? The signal had definitely originated from around here. He took a few steps back up the gravel path.

"You got my signal then?" The old but familiar bluff voice stopped the Doctor in his tracks. He turned around to see an old man dressed in a long dark coat and clutching a walking stick.

The Doctor smiled warmly as he recognised his oldest and dearest friend. "Brigadier!"


	2. Chapter 2

**7.**

Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart watched impatiently as his men escorted some more civilians into the waiting army truck. He hated civilian duties and had fought against the assignment, but as usual, the desk bound bureaucrats had won. Not that he had disagreed about the importance of the assignment. He looked up and down the street of terraced houses. He could barely see past about four of them, the light from the street lamps was totally ineffective against the grey, murky blanket that swirled through the air. It was a real 'pea-souper' as they called it. After that terrible smog in London almost ten years ago, the government had to take the situation seriously enough to involve the army. They hadn't evacuated areas quick enough then and people had died. Now they weren't taking any chances.

Lethbridge-Stewart fought the urge to cough as he felt his chest tighten. Pride of command meant that he had opted not to wear anything like a scarf or handkerchief to cover his nose and mouth. The final few civilians were loaded onto the truck and he saw Private Hemmings bang on the back of it to signal it to leave. The truck engine roared into life and it drove away into the gloom.

Hemmings came back and saluted the Colonel. Lethbridge Stewart liked the young soldier, who was keen to learn and had good instincts. Like the Colonel, he had also chosen not to cover his mouth. "All civilians present and correct sir!" reported Hemmings, automatically coming to attention.

"Good work Private," replied Lethbridge Stewart, "now let's just check around in case we have any waifs and strays that have wandered in from another area."

"Very good, sir," smiled Hemmings, then his expression changed as there was a sudden flash of light in the sky, like a flare. Something dark flew over them with a terrifying screech. "What the…..?" Hemmings shouted and clutched his rifle.

Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart looked up to see the creature he had encountered in Kenya nearly ten years ago. For one of only very few times in his career as a soldier, he was frozen in shock. Time seemed to stand still.

Suddenly, Lethbridge-Stewart came to his senses as the thing swooped down on Hemmings with deadly speed, its clawed arms wide. The young soldier only managed to fire a single ineffectual shot before the creature had enveloped him. Hemmings screamed in terror and agony and then he was consumed and was gone. The creature, seemingly sated, gave a shriek of victory and then was surrounded by a vortex of swirling white light.

Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart was left alone in the London terraced street.

**8.**

The Doctor took a few steps towards the Brigadier and flung his arms around him in a friendly hug. "Oh, Alistair, it's been too long!"

The old soldier was overcome enough at meeting his old friend to forget his stiff military upbringing and enjoy the warmth of the embrace. Then he grabbed at the Doctor's arm and smiled fondly at him. "Steady on now Doctor. I'm not as young as I used to be!" The Brigadier looked deeply into the Doctor's eyes. "It is you, isn't it?" He smiled at the young face in front of him. "You've changed again I see!"

The Doctor stepped back, a grin spread from ear to ear. "Of course I'm me, and yes, I've changed a few times since we last met!" But as he looked closer at the Brigadier, the Doctor's grin faltered slightly at the appearance of his old friend. He had aged more than his years. His hair and usual moustache were now completely white and he had certainly put on a few pounds. But it was his grey pallor and the yellow of his eyes that worried the Doctor.

The Brigadier noticed the Doctor's expression change. "Yes, I know," he muttered irritably, "old age, Doctor!" He grasped at his walking stick and began to walk up the gravel path. "Not all of us can regenerate when we feel like it you know!"

After all their years working together, the Doctor realised immediately that the Brigadier was worried about something and was, as usual, trying to cover it up with bluster. "Nonsense Brigadier," he tried to reassure him, "you still look as fit as a flea!" He started up the gravel path behind the Brigadier, noticing that the rain was just stopping.

The Brigadier just grunted in reply but pointed up the path with his walking stick. "The house is up there. We can have a drink, and talk out of this wretched wind."

"What's wrong Alistair," the Doctor continued quietly as he followed behind him, "why did you call me?"

The Brigadier stopped walking and turned to face the Doctor, looking directly into his eyes.

"I'm dying," he said simply.

**9.**

The Lethbridge-Stewart estate was a large country house, in more than a few acres of land, about an hour north of Edinburgh. It had been left to the Brigadier by his father, himself a diplomat, many years ago. Now the Doctor sat in a large red leather armchair in the elegant library, surrounded by wooden panels and shelves of musty books, whilst the Brigadier poured two glasses of malt whisky. He passed one to the Doctor and then eased himself into another armchair opposite.

The Brigadier indicated the room around him with his glass. "What do you think? I never really had chance to spend much time up here before I retired."

The Doctor sipped appreciatively at his drink. "It's lovely. What about your house in Sussex – that was Doris's wasn't it? Does she like it up here?"

A shadow crossed the Brigadier's face at the mention of his second wife, and he glanced down. "Doris died in a car accident three years ago Doctor – I'm on my own now."

The Doctor put down his glass and leant forward. "Alistair, I'm so sorry," he whispered.

The Brigadier just nodded and sipped at his drink. There was an awkward pause before the Brigadier cleared his throat and pulled out the signal device from his pocket. "I didn't know it would still work," he said lightly, "after all these years! You came back to deal with the Zygons and their Loch Ness monster last time I called you Doctor, remember them?"

The Doctor nodded silently, watching the Brigadier carefully.

"Zygons, Autons, Yeti, Cybermen! We've certainly seen them off," continued the Brigadier. "And what about those awful pepperpot things, the Da……"

"Brigadier!" The Doctor's voice was quiet and kind, but firm. "You said you were dying?"

The Brigadier looked the Doctor directly in the eye. "A tumour Doctor; on my liver. They say I have a month."

The Doctor sighed sadly, he feared as much. "Surely there's something they could do?"

The Brigadier shook his head. "Inoperable I'm afraid, and anyway," he chuckled darkly, taking another sip of malt, "I'm too old to survive the surgery!"

Suddenly, there was a terrifying screech from outside the window.

**10.**

The Doctor leapt out of his seat as a shadow flew past the window with a shriek. He watched the scaly creature circle in the sky with an empty feeling in his stomach. "Oh no," he muttered quietly, recognising it at once. The Doctor had encountered them before; where the compassion of a friend had almost destroyed the world.

The Brigadier pushed himself to his feet with his stick and came to stand next to the Doctor, his mouth open in astonishment. "That creature, I've seen it before!"

The Doctor turned to him urgently. "You have? Where Alistair?"

The Brigadier ran his hand over his face. "It was years ago, I was just a young man; once when I was stationed in Kenya, and the other in London in the Fifties. It was before I met you Doctor. I'd forgotten all about it," he tailed off, "until now." The Brigadier swallowed nervously and faced the Doctor. "How could I forget?" he growled, "I'm not senile yet!"

The Doctor shook his head, a terrible expression on his face. "No, Brigadier there's nothing wrong with you, it's the temporal distortion." He groaned. This is all my fault!"

"What do you mean?" asked the Brigadier.

The Doctor sighed. "I cheated. I arrived after……." He corrected himself quickly and the Brigadier seemed not to notice anything as the Doctor hastily continued. "I arrived at the wrong temporal location and made the TARDIS hop back a bit to correct it. That's breaking the rules."

A flicker of a smile crossed the Brigadier's face. "You never were much for rules Doctor! Why is it so important this time?"

The Doctor ignored his friend's irony. "I crossed someone's personal time-stream Brigadier – yours! That's why that thing is here."

They both watched the creature turn in the sky and swoop down close to the building again, almost as if it were searching for something, its red eyes burning with hunger.

"That creature," asked the Brigadier, "what is it?"

"It's called a Reaper. It's here to close the tear in the Space-Time continuum, like an antibody sterilising a wound. That's why you've encountered it before – it's hunting you Brigadier!"

**11.**

As the Doctor and the Brigadier stared out of the large library windows, the Reaper turned and swooped again. This time the burning, malevolent eyes found them. The creature gave a triumphant shriek and flew straight towards the window.

The Doctor instantly jumped in front of the Brigadier to try and protect the old man, who fell backwards with a cry of alarm.

The Reaper crashed into the window with terrifying force, smashing the glass and frame alike.

The Doctor threw up his hands to protect his face against the shards of glass as the splinters flew across the room like knives.

Fortunately, the Reaper was just a little too big to get directly through the smaller window, but it raked out with its' massive arms, the sharp talons clawing against the walls and floor as it attempted to squeeze through.

The Doctor knew that the Brigadier would never be fast enough to outrun the creature so he had to take a chance; he only hoped he was old enough! He glanced around and to his relief saw that the Brigadier had managed to get to safety behind a massive leather sofa, so reached down and picked a length of timber that had splintered from the window frame.

The Reaper had almost managed to manoeuvre its' scaly body through the smashed window when the Doctor stood directly in its' path and smashed the length of timber across its' head.

It should have been like using a matchstick against an elephant, but the effect was incredible.

The Reaper gave another shriek, this time higher in pitch, and pushed backwards, its' head thrashing from side to side as if it was scared of the Doctor.

The Doctor knew his advantage was only temporary. He dropped the piece of timber and jumped across the leather sofa to land next to the Brigadier. He helped his still dazed friend to his feet and, with his arm around the Brigadier's shoulder, supported him to the library door.

They managed to get through the door and the Doctor slammed it behind them, dragging a heavy side table from its position against the wall to block the doorway.

The Brigadier had recovered his composure but was breathing heavily. "Just like old times Doctor?"

**12.**

Doctor grinned at his old friend, but then instantly his expression changed to that of concern. The Brigadier was pale and shaking, and beads of sweat stood out on his forehead. "Are you alright?"

The Brigadier cleared his throat and wiped a hand across his brow. "Of course I am. It'll take more than one monster to rattle this old soldier, you should know that Doctor!"

A gentle smile returned to the Doctor's face. "What did you do?" asked the Brigadier.

The Doctor pursed his lips. He could still hear the Reaper thrashing about in the other room. "The Reapers don't like things that have lasted a long time. It disorientates them; too difficult to consume you see, and I'm a bit older than I look!"

The Brigadier grunted indignantly. "I should be a bitter pill to swallow then!" He raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean they can't attack you?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No, far from it. It was a bit of a surprise for it that time. We shouldn't count on that again. I might just be a heavy lunch next time!"

"What now then?"

The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair and then winced as he heard the Reaper crashing about and screeching behind the shut library door. "Let's get away from the immediate area first."

The Brigadier nodded and walked along the hall as quickly as he could manage, but the Doctor could see he was leaning heavily on his walking stick. "Is your TARDIS here?"

The Doctor nodded. "Down the hill, but it could just make things worse if that thing in there was to sniff out all the lovely temporal energy inside it. At the moment there's just one here, but that could bring more of them Brigadier."

There was a sudden crash and the door to the library cracked, pushing the table to one side as the reaper threw itself against it.

"On the other hand," continued the Doctor quickly, "We don't have much of a choice, and at least it'll give me a chance to think." He took the Brigadier's arm. "Come on Brigadier, time for a look around the TARDIS!"

**13.**

The journey from the house to the TARDIS seemed to the Doctor to be a hundred times longer that it really took. He held on to the Brigadier's arm whilst moving him as fast as he decently could, trying to avoid slipping on the still muddy grass and gravel. He constantly looked over his shoulder, expecting the Reaper to work out where its' prey had gone, get out of the house and swoop down on the defenceless pair. But their luck held, and whilst the Doctor could still hear the creature shrieking with bloodlust, it never appeared.

Eventually, to the Doctor's relief, they reached the TARDIS and he opened the door. He stepped back with a smile and let the Brigadier enter first. The old soldier glanced inside and then exchanged a wry smile with his friend before grasping his stick and stepping into the ship.

The Brigadier looked around with a mixture of awe and fond memories. The last time he had been inside was a very long time ago. The TARDIS had looked very different then. "Been doing some redecorating?" he asked.

The Doctor looked up from the console where he had been pushing buttons and twisting levers. "This is 'coral' apparently," he grinned, "do you like it?"

The Brigadier walked slowly up the ramp that led to the console and smiled. "You are an amazing man Doctor."

The Doctor laughed. "No more amazing than you Alistair!" He glanced down at the monitor screen. "Now then, let's see if we can't rustle up something to help us!" He pressed some more buttons. "Ah, now that's an idea; bit risky though, but it could work………"

The Brigadier sighed and the Doctor realised he was waiting for an explanation. "Sorry, sorry, force of habit. That thing out there feds on temporal energy created by a paradox. Well this old TARDIS has seen plenty of them, so we could draw some energy from her and use it to sate the Reaper. There's only one problem; if I activate the console to draw out the energy, it could actually attract more Reapers."

"Is there any other way?" asked the Brigadier.

The Doctor shook his head and then grinned dangerously. "Not really, so hold on!"


	3. Chapter 3

**14.**

The Doctor pressed a few more buttons and then released a lever. The central pillar of light began to move up and down, but this time unaccompanied by the usual wheezing and groaning of the TARDIS engines. On the monitor screen, the readouts began to change from red to green.

The Doctor looked very pleased with himself, dug out his trusty sonic screwdriver from his pocket, and plugged it into a socket on the console.

The Brigadier chuckled as he saw the screwdriver. "Is that what I think it is?"

The Doctor grinned back at his old friend. "Yup, only a lot more functions nowadays!"

Suddenly the TARDIS gave a lurch that threw both men reeling back against the railing that surrounded the console. "What was that?" asked the Brigadier looking up in alarm. "We're not going anywhere are we?"

The Doctor checked the console hurriedly. "No, no, not at all." He pressed a few buttons on the monitor and then groaned as the readouts flashed back to red alarmingly. "Oh no, I've made a terrible mistake!"

"What's happened, what have you done?"

The Doctor thumped the console in frustration. "I've made the wound deeper!"

"What wound?" asked the Brigadier. "For goodness sake Doctor, what are you talking about?"

"I tried to draw off to much paradox energy to make sure we really hammered our friend out there, but I've just made things worse! It's acting like a magnet – look!" He pointed to the screen where three more black pulsing dots started to appear. "More Reapers are being drawn to us Brigadier!"

*******************

In the dark grey sky directly above the TARDIS, three miniature vortexes of swirling light and energy began to form. As each increased in intensity there was a bright flash and a Reaper appeared, screeching in hunger, their enormous bat-wings beating powerfully as they hovered in the air.

With a deafening crash, a window of the Brigadier's house was shattered into thousands of pieces as the original creature soared into the sky to join its' kin, hunting for the prey it had been denied.

With blood-curdling shrieks, the Reapers hovered over the TARDIS ready to consume it entirely.

**15.**

The Doctor watched the Reapers appear with horror, and then after a moment's hesitation, started scrabbling around the console, pressing switches frantically.

"What are you doing now Doctor?" asked the Brigadier irritably.

"I've got to close the TARDIS down for a bit," replied the Doctor breathlessly. "It could stand one Reaper at a push, but not four. They might just have enough temporal appetite to swallow us whole – not a good thing!" As he dashed around the console, the lights in the walls of the TARDIS chamber began to dim and the comforting hum faded away leaving an eerie silence. The Doctor released a last lever and took a deep breath. "There we go; we're safe for the moment; I've just drained off the temporal capacitors."

The Brigadier raised an eyebrow. "So now what do we do?"

The Doctor rubbed his hands through his tousled hair. "Well we can't stay here, but if we go out there we could be slaughtered!"

"What about your sonic screwdriver?"

The Doctor tossed the instrument in the air and caught it. "This might hold them off for a bit," he mused, "but I don't fancy a stand off. If I could only anchor the temporal energy some way……….."

The Brigadier sighed. "Doctor, if anything you're even more annoying than you used to be!"

"Sorry – force of habit again!" the Doctor grinned sheepishly. "The Reapers can't attack if something has a lot of temporal anchoring – anything that's old - that's why the first one got a shock with me, remember?" The Brigadier nodded as the Doctor indicated his sonic screwdriver. "If I could just put all the stored temporal energy in here into something old – and before you suggest it Brigadier," he sighed, "not me or you – it would tear me to pieces and as for a human, no definitely a last resort!" He scratched his head again. "No, I need something really old……"

The Brigadier snapped his fingers after a moment's thought. It had been in his family for generations; ever since the Lethbridge-Stewarts had been in the army over two hundred years ago. In the last few months, he had visited it almost every day.

"What about the mausoleum?"

**16.**

The Doctor grinned proudly at his old friend and hugged him. "Brigadier, you're brilliant!" he cried.

The Brigadier smiled. The Doctors he had worked with before had never been so affectionate or emotional, but he enjoyed the fond embrace before clearing his throat meaningfully.

The Doctor jumped back, full of energy again. "Right, time to get going!" He dived beneath the console and pulled out a length of cabling that he disconnected and then wound in a coil around his shoulder. "I need to get this around the mausoleum and create a temporal induction loop; that should do the trick! You should be safe here Brigadier. You can watch me on the monitor there."

The Brigadier felt his hackles rising. "Now look here Doctor, you're not leaving me behind like a spare tyre!"

The Doctor shook his head - he had expected an argument. "Alistair, I'm not sure if I'll be fast enough to cover the ground. Please, I'll feel much better if you stay here."

The Brigadier gripped his walking stick tightly and walked around the console. He knew the Doctor was right but his pride was hurt. He had never let his friend down before.

The Doctor took a deep breath. "Wish me luck!" He waved to the Brigadier and then sprang through the door of the TARDIS slamming it quickly behind him.

Outside, he peeked around the TARDIS to see the Reapers hovering and swooping in the air. The doctor knew there was no point in trying to sneak down to the mausoleum quietly, so just took another deep breath, gripped the sonic screwdriver tightly, and ran as fast as he could towards the mausoleum.

The Reapers spotted him almost instantly and with a shriek swooped down towards him.

The Doctor turned as he was running and pointed the sonic screwdriver at the closest Reaper. The Doctor's aim was spot on, and with a flash of blue light, the Reaper fell to the ground, writhing and twisting as it absorbed the temporal energy. The Doctor, still running, switched targets and pointed the device at another Reaper. Again, his marksmanship was good and another Reaper fell to the ground, stunned by the sudden temporal flux.

But the Doctor wasn't looking where he was running and his feet slipped on a muddy patch of grass and he crashed to the ground, dropping his sonic screwdriver.

With a screech of triumph, the two remaining Reapers swooped down on him.

**17.**

The Brigadier watched the Doctor's progress on the monitor, admiring his friend's courage as well as his marksmanship. But he saw the patch of muddy grass before the Doctor had even reached it and knew instinctively what was going to happen.

Clutching his stick, he had started down the ramp immediately and, completely ignoring the Doctor's warnings, flung open the TARDIS door and stood in open view. He saw the two Reapers still stunned by the absorbed temporal energy. He saw the Doctor lying prone on the muddy grass. And he saw with horror the two other Reapers diving with a shriek to attack.

"Hey, you there," he yelled, waving his arms about. "It's me you want, leave him alone!"

With the source of the temporal anomaly revealed to them, as well as the prospect of attempting to devour a Timelord, the effect on the Reapers was instantaneous. As the Doctor raised his arms to protect himself, they pulled out of their dive and climbed back up into the air. Then they turned to see the Brigadier in front of the TARDIS, gave a hungry screech, and swooped towards him.

The momentary distraction was all that the Doctor needed. He threw himself forward to pick up the sonic screwdriver, twisted around and pointed it at the flying creatures. His aim was still good. There were two flashes of blue light and the reapers crashed to the grass in front of the TARDIS with a shriek.

Checking that he still had the induction loop cable around his shoulder, the Doctor got to his feet and sprinted over to the Brigadier. The old soldier skirted around the fallen Reapers and met him half way.

The two men regarded each other silently. There was a mixture of anger and concern on the Doctor's face; stubborn resolve on the Brigadier's.

The Doctor broke the silence. "You could've been killed Alistair!" He paused and smiled. "But you saved my life, thank you."

The Brigadier's moustache twitched. "As always, Doctor!" he said gruffly.

The Doctor grabbed his friend's shoulder and looked at the Reapers who were stirring around them. "I don't think they'll be sated for long. Come on," he tapped the loop, "we've got to get this around the mausoleum!"

**18.**

The Doctor and the Brigadier walked as quickly as they could down the hill to the old stone mausoleum. All the Doctor's instincts told him to get there as quickly as they could, but the Brigadier couldn't manage more than a slow walk and the Doctor wasn't going to leave his friend. Precious second ticked by and the Reapers, now almost having totally digested the blast of temporal energy, were starting to move again. Their wings began to beat against the ground as they tried to summon the strength to take off.

At last, the Doctor and the Brigadier reached the mausoleum. The Doctor quickly took the induction loop from over his shoulder and began to unravel it. "We've got to get inside Brigadier. You open it up and I'll get this around the building!"

The Brigadier nodded and reached inside his jacket pocket for the keys he had kept on him for months now; ever since the day of his diagnosis. He clutched the worn leather key fob in his hand and reached for the padlock on the locked iron gate that was across the entrance. But as he put the key into the lock, he realised they were in trouble; the key wouldn't turn. The lock had rusted solid almost completely. "Doctor!" he called out urgently.

The Doctor meanwhile was around the other side of the mausoleum, trailing out the cable behind him. He hoped he had brought enough to go completely around the building! The Brigadier's shout made him move even faster and then he heard the terrifying shriek of a Reaper. He looked up and saw that the creatures had taken to the air, searching for their prey.

The Doctor knew that they had barely seconds to spare. He frantically unravelled the cable behind him as he dashed around to meet the Brigadier. Throwing the cable to the ground, he got out his sonic screwdriver and gave the lock a quick burst. There was a high pitched hum and the lock clicked open.

The Doctor risked a glance behind him. The Reapers were in the air and were swooping towards them. He pushed the Brigadier into the mausoleum and reached down to complete the induction loop.

Then he realised his mistake. He hadn't brought enough cable. He couldn't complete the loop.

**19.**

The Doctor looked frantically between the two ends of the cables. There was a good few feet between them. Probabilities rushed through the Doctor's mind, but he knew there was only really one option.

A shriek from the sky jolted him from his thoughts. The Reapers had located them and it would be mere seconds before they would attack. The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the cable and released the last remaining stored temporal energy into it. Now that the temporal energy was grounded around the old mausoleum, it should be enough to send the Reapers back into the Time Vortex and away from the paradox that he had caused by jumping across the Brigadier's time-stream.

The Doctor grasped one end of the cable and reached across to find the other end. He would have to bridge the loop with his body.

From just inside the mausoleum, the Brigadier realised instantly what the Doctor was intending to do. But he couldn't let his old friend sacrifice himself like this, not for him with his life measured in months, not after so many years together. He started forwards and grabbed the Doctor's hand.

The Doctor twisted around. "No Brigadier, you'll be killed!" he yelled.

The Reapers were almost upon them and screeched as they dived down.

"Then we go down together Doctor!" shouted the Brigadier and grasped the other end of the cable in his other hand.

The two friends stood next to each other as they completed the induction loop; shoulder to shoulder as they had done so many times before.

The four Reapers opened their claws to devour the Doctor and the Brigadier, but as they did so there was an incandescent flash of white energy. They shorted out the time differential caused by the induction loop, and the Reapers vanished into the Vortex with a shriek.

The Doctor and the Brigadier were flung to the ground by the release of energy.

The Doctor got to his feet almost immediately, shaking his head to clear it. Frantically, he scrabbled over to the prone body of the Brigadier and knelt by him, cradling the Brigadier's head in his lap.

**20.**

The Brigadier and the Doctor stood next to each other in front of the TARDIS. The dark grey skies from yesterday had given way to a clearer morning with even a hint of sunshine behind some whiter clouds.

Much to the Doctor's relief, the Brigadier had only been stunned by the release of temporal energy in the induction loop and otherwise unhurt. His mood had been aided by the recovery of a decanter of his beloved malt from the smashed library, and together they had stayed up late into the night talking about their old adventures before the Brigadier, exhausted by the day's exertions, had fallen asleep in the chair.

As they had walked, arm in arm and the Brigadier leaning heavily on his walking stick, down to the TARDIS, an uncomfortable silence had descended. Now the two friends regarded each other, neither knowing exactly what to say. They had shared so much; as much as a human could share with a Timelord, and now they both could sense the end was near.

The Doctor cleared his throat as he opened the TARDIS doors with his key. They had talked only about the past last night, now it was time to confront the present and the future. He looked at his old friend fondly. The Brigadier's pallor had not improved and his eyes had misted over. The old soldier was avoiding his gaze.

The Doctor broke the silence. "You could come with me you know?"

The Brigadier looked through the doors of the TARDIS and into the magical chamber beyond. He paused and then shook his head. "No Doctor. Thank you, but no. I'm past all that now. If you had come back earlier……" His voice, thick with emotion, trailed off.

"Just one trip?" The Doctor realised that he was almost pleading, but the Brigadier shook his head resolutely. "Then what can I do?"

The Brigadier met his gaze. "Stay!" His voice cracked. "I'll need you more now than ever Doctor -for my own last adventure."

The Doctor took two steps forward and threw his arms around the Brigadier, hugging him tightly. This time, overcome with emotion, the Brigadier returned the hug.

"Of course," the Doctor whispered.

He would stay until he was no longer needed.

_**Next Time**__: Katherine and Megan become entangled in the '__**Ocean of Deceit'**_

**Never Say Die - Confidential**

So I did it. I killed off the Brigadier!

This was always the intention of the story from the very beginning, and I just had to think of a plot that would make this come about. I knew I never really wanted a 'glorious' death scene however as I thought that an older Brigadier just warranted so much more respect than that.

As I started to think about it, I knew this really couldn't be pulled off anyway as it wouldn't be realistic. The UNIT of today would never call on the Brigadier in more than an advisory capacity, and if that were to happen I would have to introduce new UNIT characters who would then get in the way of the main thrust of the story – the true and lasting bond of friendship that exists between the Doctor and the Brigadier.

I also got rid of Katherine and Megan for this reason very early on to avoid them standing around like spare parts. I did consider a sub-plot with them and either the Brigadier's butler or his daughter, but again that would detract from the time spent with the main guest star and the friendship theme, so it got cut. I really just wanted a minimum of characters for this story and it ended up being just a two hander after all!

I did flesh out the character of the Brigadier with two 'flashback' scenes where he encountered the Reapers in his early life, and I'm quite pleased with these scenes and did the required research, all of which is genuine. The choice of the Reapers was an easy one given that I wanted some kind of paradox that the Doctor had caused in his desperate decision to be there at the end for the Brigadier.

I'm particularly proud of this story out of all the ones this season. I think I managed to convey the bond between the two men and their love for each other quite well. As I wrote the scene where the Brigadier enters the TARDIS, I could just imagine Murray Gold's 'The Doctor Forever' playing sadly in the background! I even managed to get the Brigadier to sacrifice his life for his oldest friend without actually killing him

And, of course, the Doctor was there when the Brigadier needed him the most - like he always is.

In memory of my Dad: 1929-2005.


End file.
